Sunday, July 31, 2011

﻿ Anyone who lives art knows that psychoanalysis has no monopoly on the power to heal...Art and poetry have always been altering our ways of sensing and feeling ---that is to say, altering the human body and the human mind.

The spiral we travel round life is the means we have to compare ourselves with ourselves, and discover how much we have changed since we were last in the city, met our brother, or celebrated Christmas. Time itself is cyclic, and by the spiral of its returning seasons we review the growth of our own understanding. ~ Jill Purce ~

As the inward winding labyrinth, the spiral constitutes the human journey to the still center where the secret of life is found. As the vortex spiraling through its own center, it combines the inward and outward direction of movement. ~ Jill Purce ~

﻿Going into a tailspin in those days meant curtains. No matter how hard you pulled back on the stick the nose of the plane wouldn't come up. Spinning round, headed for a target of earth, the whine of death in the wing struts, instinct made you try to pull out of it that way, by force, and for years aviators spiraled down and crashed.

Who could have dreamed that the solution to this dreaded aeronautical problem was so simple? Every student flier learns this nowadays: You move the joystick in the direction of the spin and like a miracle the plane stops turning and you are in control again to pull the nose up out of the dive.

In panic we want to push the stick away from the spin, wrestle the plane out of it, but the trick is, as in everything, to go with the turning willingly, rather than fight, give in, go with it, and that way come out of your tailspin whole.

In the course of our life we leave and are left and let go of much that we love. Losing is the price we pay for living. It is also the source of much of our growth. Making our way from birth to death, we also have to make our way through the pain of giving up and giving up, and giving up some portion of what we cherish.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

I had just turned thirteen years old when I watched and listened to a white haired man speak during the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. The speaker was Robert Frost. The inauguration was on January 20, 1961 and on one of the coldest January days in recorded history. Frost became the first poet to read in the program of a presidential inauguration.

One of my favorite poems is not the one spoken on that historical day, but one I would latter be introduced to in an English literature class. The name of the poem is, "The Road not Taken".

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost﻿

~

Frost is telling us not to follow the pack, but to look within, and to become the path finder. He is saying not to always travel the path that has been pave over by those who have been there before us. If you have a choice, he says, take the road less traveled by and it will make all the difference. In other words, trust yourself. Listen to your intuition and understand what they mean when they say, "Talking to God is prayer, but God talking to you is intuition. Follow it, regardless of who has been there before . Listen to your heart.

The following is a poem by E.E. Commings (1894-1962). Born and reared in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cummings developed a strong interest in poetry and art at an early age. After completing studies in English and the classics at Harvard University, he moved to New York where he stayed until World War I.

His style is quite unique and often misunderstood. One of the first things to be noticed about his poetry is the pronoun "i" is used in the lower case. This shows humility, and is an effective way of reminding the reader that the self is not always as important as it seems. Cummings uses "incorrect" syntax in unusual ways to help illustrate the meanings of his poems. Capitalization, when used, is important in his poetry to emphasize words or phrases such as "Humanity i love you."

The following is in part and a depiction of Cummings whimsical, funny way of sending the reader a message. The poem is about a little girl, by the name of Effie who has died and God has come to claim her body.

E. E. Cummings, here is little Effie's head

here is little Effie's head

whose brains are made of gingerbread

when judgment day comes

God will find six crumbs

stooping by the coffinlid

waiting for something to rise

as the other somethings did...

you imagine his surprise

bellowing through the general noise

Where is Effie who was dead?

...to God in a tiny voice,

i am may the first crumb said

whereupon its fellow five

crumbs chuckled as if they were alive

and number two took up the song

might i'm called and did no wrong

cried the third crumb, i am should

and this is my little sister could

with our big brother who is would

don't punish us for we were good;

and the last crumb with some shame

whispered unto god, my name

is must and with the others i've

been Effie who isn't alive

cross the threshold have no dread

lift the sheet back in this way

here is little Effie's head

whose brains are made of gingerbread.

~

The six crumbs, May, Might, Should, Could, Would, and Must made up Effie's absence of a brain. A lesson for all those who are empty headed, rid yourself of your woulds and coulds and shoulds so that God doesn't have trouble finding you when he comes to claim your body.﻿

One of my favorite speakers and writers, Dr Wayne W. Dyer, once said, "All of us have an energy field around us and we must be very careful not to let anyone else contaminate it with their negativity, with their unpleasantness, with their unhappiness.

A 19th century poet, by the name of Ella Wheeler Wilcox (November 5, 1850 - October 30, 1919) wrote poetry with cleaver lyrics and was considered quite popular during her time. In her poem, "Solitude", she gives a poetic description of how to keep your energy field clean and clear and uncontaminated."

Solitude﻿

by Ella Wilcox

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;

Weep, and you weep alone.

For the sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,

But has trouble enough of its own.

Sing, and the hills will answer;

Sigh, it is lost on the air.

The echoes bound to a joyful sound,

But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;

Grieve, and they turn and go.

They want full measure of all your pleasure,

But they do not need your woe.

Be glad, and you friends are many;

Be sad, and you lose them all.

There are none to decline your nectared wine,

But alone you must drink life's gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;

Fast, and the world goes by.

Succeed and give, and it helps you live,

But no man can help you die.

There is room in the halls of pleasure

For a long and lordly train,

But one by one we must all file on

Through the narrow aisles of pain.

Indeed she tells us that if we laugh we will create a world of laughter. If we weep, we will be alone. If we rejoice, others will seek us. If we are full of grieving, others will turn and go. If we feast and enjoy we will have a happy life. Attitude creates the very world that you experience each and every day and it is your choice to laugh or to weep.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The following poem, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), is from In Memoriam A.H.H. 27. Tennyson was an English poet often regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian age in poetry and succeeded William Wordsworth Longfellow as Poet Laureate in 1850.

Considered a risk taking man, Tennyson promoted the notion of , having a mind of ones own.

﻿ *

I envy not in any moods

The captive void of noble rage,

The linnet born within the cage,

That never knew the summer woods:

I envy not the beast that takes

His license in the field of time,

Unfetter'd by the sense of crime,

To whom a conscience never wakes;

Nor, what may count itself as blest,

The heart that never plighted troth

But stagnates in the weeds of sloth:

Nor any want-begotten rest.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;

I feet it, when I sorrow most;

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all.

*

The poet reminds us that it is far betterto take the risk, to face the fear anddo it anyway.And if you lose, at least you will have loved.

﻿Perhaps one of my favorite poets is Emily Dickinson. She admired the poetry of three other favorite poets, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, as well as John Keats. Though she was dissuaded from reading the verse of her contemporary Walt Whitman by rumor of its disgracefulness, the two poets are now connected by the distinguished place they hold as the founders of a uniquely American poetic voice. While Dickinson was extremely prolific as a poet and regularly enclosed poems in letters to friends, she was not publicly recognized during her lifetime. The first volume of her work was published posthumously in 1890 and the last in 1955. She died in Amherst in 1886.

Upon her death, Dickinson's family discovered 40 handbound volumes of nearly 1800 of her poems, or "fascicles" as they are sometimes called. In many of her poems she writes about the soul being without form and endless. This was a big part of Dickinson's poetry.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Native American poets through the ages have expressed their love for the natural world and how important it is for each of us to be reminded that we are connected to nature and not in nature to push it around.

The Onondaga Indians described it in this way: "In our way of life, in our government, with every decision we make, we always keep in mind the generations to come. It's our job to see that the generations still unborn, have a world no worse than ours and hopefully better. When we walk upon mother earth we always plant our feet carefully, because we know the faces of our future generations are looking up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them."

This ideal of remembering the unborn generations, having reverence for nature is a very powerful message for us today as we think about our planet and how connected we need to feel to it.

A member of the Abenaki Tribe spoke of "A Sacred Hoop" this way, "To honor and respect, means to think of the land and the water and the plants and animals who live here as having a right, equal to ours, to be here. We are not the supreme and all knowing beings, living at the top of the pinnacle of evolution, but we are in fact members of the sacred hoop of life, along with trees, and rocks, the coyotes, and the eagles, fish and toads...and each fulfills a purpose. They each perform given task in the sacred hoop, as do we."The Sacred Hoop is a wonderful reminder of our coexistence in nature.

A reverence for nature was also express in the prayer of the Ojibway in the following way:

"Grandfather, look at our brokenness. We know that in all Creation only the Human Family has strayed from the Sacred Way."

"We know that we are the ones, who are divided and we are the ones who must come back together. To walk in the Sacred Way"

"Grandfather, Sacred One"

"Teach us Love, Compassion and Honor..."

That We May Heal the Earth and each other"

The Ojibway Tribal Prayer is most appropriate for the times we now live in. To those of you fortunate enough to have cherished ones to spend this day with, I wish you great Joy, Happiness and Abundance. May you feel a deep sense of Gratitude for all the gifts that have been bestowed upon you by your Creator and for all of nature which surrounds us. The reverence for nature is something we can all have by being in a constant state of gratitude for all that is, in our world, our planet, and our universe.

﻿ ﻿﻿Perhaps there is nothing in life more important than to be true to yourself. Nothings brings more satisfaction and nothing can bring more heart ache. Our own conscience is a strict task maker. One can actually mute ones conscience to an extent where it can't be heard--- that may be the most dangerous thing to anyone human.. Without it one can never reach any state of happiness for they have fallen victims of apathy and disgruntlement. An attitude of, "I don't care" is the most dangerous of all, destructive in nature. It will destroy anyone. Thus, it is imperative to know 'thy self' in order to be truly content with oneself. It is good to know what our values and morals are. What we want to stand for. What we are not willing to stand for. Know our limits. Learn to recognize weakness, and have the desire to improve. When we know who we are, or who we want to be then we are able to live the life we want to live, and to always be true to ourselves.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The theme is love, particularly romantic love. We know when we are experiencing it how joyous it is. How great we feel. Perhaps one of the greatest poets who ever talked about love was Elizabeth Barret Browning who married another famous poet, Robert Browning.

She had a series of sonnets from the Portuguese on romantic love and her writings were about her great love for her husband, Robert Browning. She didn't put her attention on his physical attributes or on the material man that he was, instead she looked at all the little things which is what makes romantic love so beautiful. Her sonnets will live for thousands of years. Written back in the 19th century, shortly before her death in 1861.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

fromSonnets from the Portuguese

XLIII

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men might strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,–I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!–and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

﻿

Elizabeth Barret Browning speaks of her great love for her husband by talking about the passion, by talking about , not his appearances and not his material things, but the little things. She loves him with the breath and smiles and tears of all her life. So beautifully expressed and enduring. She closes with, "I shall love thee better after death" where she speaks of an eternal love rather than a temporary one.﻿

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier.

The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out his package, "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting.

The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.

"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

the father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. We will start the bidding with this picture of the son.

Who will bid for this picture?" there was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. The son! The son! Who'll take the son?

Finally, a voice came for the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son.

I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned.

Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!"

There is a story about a professor who is presenting a lecture on stress management to his students. He raised a glass of water and asked the class, "How heavy do you think this glass of water is?" The students guessed about 6 ounces. "It doesn't matter what the absolute weight is. It depends on how long you hold it," the professor replied. "If I hold it for a minute, it is okay. If I hold it for an hour, my arm will start to ache. If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance. It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

If you carry your burdens all the time, sooner or later, you will not be able to carry on, the burden will be too heavy. What you have to do is put the glass down and rest for a while before holding it up again. You have to put down the burdens from time to time, so that you can be refreshed and able to carry on. Whatever burden you are carrying on your shoulders, let it down. Take a rest. If you must, you can pick it up again later when you have rested.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do.

The most important thing in any relationship is not what you get but what you give. In any case, the 'giving of love is an education in itself.

It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself.

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.

People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.

We must want for others, not ourselves alone.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right-for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.

Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.

I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.

I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.

If someone betrays you once, it's their fault; if they betray you twice, it's your fault.

Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.

Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.

One thing life has taught me: If you are interested, you never have to look for new interest. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'

Friday, July 22, 2011

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there. They serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or help you figure out who you are and who you want to be. You never know why these people may be: your neighbor, child, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger. Who, when you lock eyes with you know at that very moment, that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you and at the time they seem painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential strength, willpower, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul.

Without these small test, whether they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere, safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet who affect your life and the successes and downfalls you experience create who you are, and even the bad experiences can be learned from, in fact, they are probably the poignant and the important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart too. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them. Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen, let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high! Hold your head up, because you have every right too. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either. Create your own life and then go out and live in it! "Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last! Tomorrow Is Never Promised."

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